Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-01
A Half Hours Chat with Mr.. Henry
Stout of Wood County, One of
the Texas Veterans.
he Relates the Circumstances Con-
nected with the Finding OF the
Bones of John D. Denton.
The Battle in which Benton was Killed,
in 1871, Fought in Tarrant County.
Incidents of the Battle.
Death of BoSlss, the Distinguished Ghero
kse Chief, who was a Friend to tho
White Man OF Texas.

the Union Depot was an old gentleman 0
perhaps four score years and ten, enjoy
ing the breeze as It came over the prairie
He was not q resident of any town, that wa
evident; he vas not the typical farme
either, but belonged TO a generation tina
has passed away and to q time long since
marked down in the great calendar. HI
was tall, slender and msrvelousiy active
Tor one OF his age, and his quick move
ments snd rapid gestures while talking
showed that the old fire had not al
died cut. His head was covered
with full suit Of hair, almost white, mis-
face was clean shaven and his apparel
bespoke more he frontier COWBOY, mGdi-
fed 20 suit old Sge, than anything else
&c had reached the city in the morning
and had to lay over until night waiting
for tain, and occupied his time IN look.
ing out upon the prairies and over the
LilltOp5, sOlilOquiZing: "There; yes,
right down yOnder by that third piece OF
wood is where We passed in Al. l can
follow the trail from right here to where
we buried Denton. les, that's it; |
knew [ could find it.; | found Denton 5
grave and dug up his bones nigh onto
thirty eight years after we buried him,
and Csn tell Just where the trsil runs
from the big spring up yonder to where
we met the Indians" and Inc
Ole gentleman you'd LOOK long and visit
fully Gus upon The prairies. When TIE
GAZETTE representative approached the
old gentleman seemed glsd TO ind 81 at
dieuce, and proceeded at once to relste
ais history and the object of mis- mission
5''m one Of tie OLD ones" said he, "snd
have been 70 Austin for my pension
money. | have been entitled 10 z pension
Tor some time, but couldn't get ii until
went 10 Austin. You see when Sam
Houston was about finishing up his little
business with the MeXicans be left me 10
guard the frontier General Houston
knew me, and knew If was left there
would be no Indians come
il the settlements. When
the Mexican var was over
I went home and never received my
formal discharge. There was no one 10
discharge me in this part of the state end
| cared but little for it anyhow, because
mad been lighting the Indians since 1919,
andncyer locked Tor oreXpeCteda pension.
This made it somewhat difficult TO obtain
ny pension, but when [ went to see that
BOY that's Comptroller, Mccall, | had no
fncy5 trouble than i Is for ne to sit in
I 3fsEhair. Nobody hes any trouble with
.h&-bCy; l got slong 0s well as if l had
oeentle best lawyer in the state" and
ne ribbed bis hands il great good humor.
Il wrote to Gr. - "a prominent
lawyer Of Austin ana told him
/ would give him $50 TO get my pension.
He Trote me back, here is his letter
showing letter. and wanted me to take
. -, IL,
You see, ne lust wanted ID beat me. He
knew that all hc would have TO do would
be 10 ask for ii and he would get it, l
told mini wrote MN hack-that he
should not have cent, and | got on the
train and went 20 Austin. l went in aud
demanded my papers He YES very polite
snd wanted me 10 sit down. BE again
asked If I would not accent OF his Dr0po-
sitioG and fused. Re wanted to beat
me out Of my money, and l told him so
and demanded my papers. just as soon as
Z got my papers | went back TO that Comp
troller boy AMI Just sal down minute
and then went cur with another BOY TO
the bank, WHO presented two checks and
got ne my $500. And you see that
lawyer wanted 10 best re out of 5000,
sud if I had not gone 10 Austin l would
nave lost il, but that Comptroller boy
hes hOnest-1e don't try 10 beat any
body. he mas Nc interest il the matter
only TO pay our the money and he gets
paio for that. tell you nobody wants
3 lawyer with that boy. I got along as
well as if ha6 been the best lawyer IN
the country" aud ne seemed TO be highly !
delighted with the thought of MS clever |
ness and SUcC esq.
"But you were saying something about |
inding the bones OF Dentou?' ventured |
the reporter in the hopes Of bringing him /
30 the stirring events OF long ago.
"Ie5; poor Denton, I'm not at my
self to-day. | feel Ike / had been on /
spree. did not sleep last night; was on |
the cars and did not sleep. l slept some !
il town this morning, and don't You think |
they charged me half dollar for sleep /
ing three hours" said he with evident |
surprise. "NOw, if had gone up to the |
other end Of the village | could have got !
q he'd for two bits in some of those /
taverns, couldn't 20
TIE reporter told hin thai hotels |
charged 80 and % cents for room, no |
matter how short time il was |
occupied.
"WeI," said he musingly, al thought /
m2y05 those tSye-ns not so close to the |
road would give me & bed for two bits.
never used 10 pay for bed when was
here before, I slept on the prairie in Red !
iyer county three or four years and it
didn't cost NE anything"
"Times change and we change with /
em,' said the reporter. "You speak of
d River county; l presume you know |
venerable friend Hon. Charles De- /
Tse?'
Charles Dem7rse!" said the old man /
amstically. Yes, I know him; but |
MT say snything about those old fell |
lGble 70 talk. | have something in here I
oilting to his 1eSrt) that rises up when !
ak OF them"
TIE reporter excused himself and |
omised not TO say anything more, but .
ged the old gentleman to sGesk about
esrly days of Texas and Of his own
story. He replied; al can't tell the
CRY straight like what you would read
in 3 BOOK, but viii tell It my w&y,
q yea can straighten it ont"
HENRY STOUT.
ION g somewhat rambling discourse, il
as ascertsined that the venerable gen
eman was Mr. Henry Stout, who is well
lown TO ell cid Texans. He had the
pUtation of being q great scout and
arless Indian fighter in his day. He was
)rn in Logan county, Vs., st or before
birth of the present century. He re-
ed TO Illinois when quite young and
raised in q "blOck house," and II
there he learned the Indian character
We II which enabled MIN TO understand
II npculiRr mode of warfare. In 1919